Community forester explains role of Cape Girardeau Tree Board, how residents request tree work

Jennifer Behnken, a community forester with the Missouri Department of Conservation and member of the Cape Girardeau Tree Board, said the board serves as an advisory body to city departments on the health and sustainability of the city's trees.

"It's something that is we're an advisory board, and what we do is we help the city, with public works and park and recreation," Behnken said, explaining the board provides recommendations on urban-tree care and maintenance.

Behnken said trees provide multiple community benefits, from mental and physical health to stormwater retention. "Trees make us healthier," she said, and cautioned that safety concerns differ when trees stand next to homes, playgrounds or sidewalks compared with trees in an isolated forest.

The tree board, Behnken said, evaluates problematic trees when concerns are brought to the board and coordinates with city engineers on projects that could affect trees. "When they're going to be doing places where a tree may be damaged or it might not be sustained for a long time ... they bring those information to us so we can come in and ... give those decisions," she said.

Residents can raise concerns through multiple channels, Behnken said: directly at tree-board meetings, through ward council members, or via city employees in parks and public works. "We meet, every other month, for an hour," she said, noting that citizens sometimes come to meetings to discuss specific trees.

For homeowners considering new plantings, Behnken advised thinking about the "right tree in the right place," including mature size, soil and drainage, and proximity to utilities. She pointed listeners to an approved street-tree list on the City of Cape Girardeau website: "There is an approved tree list that's actually on the City Of Cape Girardeau's website through the tree board," she said.

Behnken also described community planting events tied to Arbor Day each April, where volunteers and children participate in park plantings to foster stewardship. "Everyone gets a shovel out. Everyone gets a little dirty. I love planting trees with kids," she said.

Host Alex Gasser introduced the segment and closed the interview; practical takeaways included the city tree list and the tree board's meeting schedule for residents seeking help or evaluation.

The tree board is advisory; Behnken emphasized that its role is to inform city decisions rather than to make final policy actions.